Christmas Love is in the air
by Chocolatery
Summary: Christmas brings joy and laughter to all. But what will it bring for Tony & Ziva? Updated with Cht. 4 Starters, in which Tony and Ziva have a dinner for two.
1. Chapter 1 Being different

Title: Christmas Love is in the air

Author: Chocolatery

Rating: M (for future chapters)

Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.

Characters: No other characters involved

Category: Friendship, Love, Romance

Disclaimer: No infringement intended. Characters are all their's, storyline is all mine. If NCIS belonged to me I knew where Tony and Ziva would be! And I wouldn't have to look for a job.....

Spoilers: Story plays from Faith (Episode 7.10, so be warned!)

Summary: Christmas brings joy and laughter to all. But what will it bring for Tony & Ziva?

Author's note: Just a little Tiva Fluff/Smut. I'll have to admit that I really don't think Tony nor Ziva are ready for this yet, although it seems as though the writers want to let us think Ziva isn't still being haunted by the torture she's been through. Let's play pretend for now and pretend that she's all over it.

Author's note 2: Everything in _Italic_ is a thought.

**Christmas love is in the air**

**Chapter 1 Being different**

"That was a really nice gift you gave Dolores, Tony." Ziva said, the fake fire light sparkling in her eyes.

"Thanks." he murmured, studying his shoes. "You inspired me, you know." he said hesitantly with a quick glance at her face before averting his eyes again.

"I inspired you, huh? Well, I have had to push you for it, but the result is wonderful. Dolores was truly happy with her gift."

"Yeah, you were right. I should have known, you know?" he said.

"Known what?" she asked.

"That you were the one who could make me do this." he stated.

"Because I know several ways to kill you with a paperclip?" she asked innocently.

"Well, there's that. And because you're the only who could." he said.

"Hmm, the killing, yes?" she asked

"That, and you're the only one who could make me search for such a gift." he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Cause you're different." he stated, a serious look on his face.

"I'm different?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes, you are." he stated.

"I don't believe you." she said.

"I'm not kidding!" He said defensively. "You really are different."

"Well, I guess you'll have to find a way to convince me, then." she said teasingly.

"I have to convince you? Okay, I'll take you up on that challenge!" he said. _'That should be easy.'_ he thought, a smirk playing around his lips.

"A challenge it is, then. Are you sure you are fit to that?" Ziva asked.

"It's "up to that", Sweet Cheeks. And you bet I'm up to that." He was thinking about the plans he'd already made for that night. "You know what? Why don't you come over at my place tonight? And I'll show you that I can convince you of this inspiration." he said. He didn't expect that she'd take him up on the offer, but he could always try, right?

"Tonight? At your place? Don't you have somewhere to go, Tony? It IS Christmas Eve after all." Ziva replied.

"Are you backing out now? Now that's a not a good sport." he said.

"What's not good sport? Backing out? I've never heard about that sport." She asked confused.

"That's because it's not a sport. It's phrase saying that you're giving up on the challenge. Are you?" He asked.

"Am I what?"

"Already giving up on the challenge?"

"Oh, no. You are on it mister. And don't you dare... back out, yes?" she said.

"I wouldn't dare, Sweet cheeks." he chuckled. _'This Christmas Eve is going to be ….. really different then previous ones.'_ he thought while packing his things.

_'Different, yeah, right. As if I should believe that.'_ she thought. _'But I'll let him try to convince me. We will have a nice night. And it beats spending this night alone.'_ She packed her things and started walking to the elevator.

"So, seven at my place?" Tony asked quickly.

"Sure." she replied before pressing the button.

He took his gun and badge out of the drawer and dashed to the elevator, just in time to catch it. They stepped in and while Ziva pressed the button for the parking lot, Tony admired his view while he stood behind her. _'Still looking great.'_ he thought. "Oh, Ziva?"

"Yes, Tony?"

"Wear something.... Classy." he said, a smirk on his face.

She merely raised her eyebrows.

"Please?" he added. "It's a special night. It's Christmas Eve after all." He flashed her his devilish grin.

"A special night, huh?" she asked grinning. "Classy, I think I can manage that." she said, thinking of a certain dress in her closet.

"Good." he said.

The elevator doors opened and they walked to their cars.

* * *

He looked at her driving away in her mini. _'Good that we managed to save that car for her.'_ he thought, when the sight of it reminded him about the last summer when the local police had asked what they had to do with the car. McGee and he had decided they'd keep it safe for Ziva's return. While slowly driving away from the parking lot he took out his cell phone and called the restaurant where he'd made dinner reservations.

"Luigi's Place, how can I help you?" a pleasant voice on the other side said.

"Bella Donna, it's Tony."

"Tony, buona sera. Are you still coming tonight?" Donna asked.

"Yes, I'm coming and I'm bringing a friend. Do you have a table for two?" he asked.

"For you? Always, Tony." Donna checked the reservations and decided right there and then that a couple who had made reservations for two would have to be content with the table she'd give them. "Do you want me to put an extra name down, Tony?" she asked curious. They'd always make reservations on multiple names in case the party wouldn't arrive all together at once.

"No, she's coming with me." he said.

"Okay, still the same time?" she asked.

"We might be a bit later. A few things got late here at work, so I think eight o'clock will be fine.

"Sure, no problem. We'll see you at eight."

"Thanks, Donna. You're wonderful!"

"Anything for you Tony." she said smiling.

"Oh, and Donna, could you ask Mamma Lucia if she can make something kosher?"

"Is she Jewish, Tony?" Donna asked amazed.

"That she is, Donna." Tony confirmed.

"Okay, Mamma Lucia has several kosher dishes, so that should be easy." Donna reassured him.

"Thanks, Donna. I'll see you tonight!" Tony ended the call and drove home.

* * *

Donna walked into the kitchen. "Mamma Lucia!" she called.

"Yes, hun. What's up?" Lucia answered. She had several kids with Luigi at home and she loved them. And to top it, here in the restaurant several of their employees felt like their kids. And thus Mamma Lucia it was.

"Tony's coming tonight."

"Yeah," she said, "and like every year on Christmas Eve he's alone. That darn father of his."

"Ah," Donna started, "this is year is different, Mamma Lucia."

"Different?" Lucia asked.

"Yes," Donna said smiling, "he's bringing a friend. A lady friend."

"He is? Oh, wow. That's different. He hasn't brought a date since....?" she thought for a moment but couldn't come up with a date.

"I don't think he has ever brought a date here." Donna said thoughtful.

"Or in Baltimore." Lucia added softly with glittering eyes.

"You're right! Oh, wow. That IS different." Donna said. "Oh, and one more thing. She's Jewish." she added.

"Then let's make sure we've got a proper meal for the both of them, shall we?" Lucia asked.

Donna smiled and walked back into the restaurant.


	2. Chapter 2 Luigi's Place

**Chapter 2 Luigi's Place**

Summary: Tony Takes Ziva to his favorite restaurant, Luigi's Place. A restaurant run by old friends from Baltimore.

Thanks to everyone who's left a review and thank you for the massive story/author alerts! It is so heartwarming!

Author's Note: I wonder why so many people say that Ziva doesn't use... contractions, abbreviations, (Doesn't, etc.). Cause in the episode "Silver War" (3.04) when she meets Gibbs again, she says: "I stand corrected. It appears he **DIDN'T** know." So, for the future, I will be using those abbreviations. I agree, she doesn't use a whole lot of them, but she **DOES** use them.

* * *

**Previously on Christmas Love is in the air:**

"I don't think he has ever brought a date here." Donna said thoughtful.

"Or in Baltimore." Lucia added softly with glittering eyes.

"You're right! Oh, wow. That IS different." Donna said. "Oh, and one more thing. She's Jewish." she added.

"Then let's make sure we've got a proper meal for the both of them, shall we?" Lucia asked.

Donna smiled and walked back into the restaurant.

* * *

**Chapter 2 Luigi's Place**

Ziva looked in the mirror, studying herself. It had been a while since she had been on a date. _'Although, strictly speaking, this is not a date. It's an answer to Tony's challenge, right?'_ she thought, looking at her reflection. The emerald green dress fitted her slim body perfect. Her breasts, small but firm, were perfectly cupped, the dress fit her hips like a glove and it ended just short under her knees. The neck was just low enough to inspire men's fantasies but high enough to keep mysteries hidden. The back was cut low, leaving her back bare for a great part. To complete her outfit she wore a beautiful champagne colored wrapping shawl. It was made of satin and it had a nice shine without it being too shiny. _'It will be good as a comfort against the cold too.'_ she thought.

She reached for the small bottle of perfume on the table and put a few drops on her wrists, behind her ears and in the valley between her breasts. It was just enough to give a nice scent of lavender without it being overwhelming. _'Well, it looks classy. Is this what Tony meant, or is it too much?'_ she wondered, looking nervously in the mirror. She had put her long and curly hair in a pony tail but seeing that it would leave her shoulders bare without the shawl, she took out her hair clip and shook her head slightly. Her curls now danced around her face and on her shoulders and back. _'Much better!'_ she thought with one last look in the mirror.

She walked to the living room and picked up her handbag. _'Okay, I've got everything.'_ she thought after checking if the new movie DVD was in it. _'Perhaps we can watch "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" tonight. It would be fun, right?'_ she wondered. She looked around in her living room. All the lights but one were out, everything was in its place, so she could go. She turned out the last light and walked into the hallway. She put on her coat and walked out the door.

* * *

Tony shot a last glance in the mirror. _'Perfect!'_ he thought, as he saw his reflection. He was wearing black Armani pants with a white shirt. The accompanying jacket hung on the back of a chair at the dinner table for now. The suit fit his trained body perfect. _'It's good I've been training these last months.'_ he thought. He put on some cologne , just enough for a light scent.

He walked into the living room. He had placed a few candles in some strategic places, but for now he had simply lit the lamps. After all they would go out for dinner. He had no idea if she'd come inside after dinner. _'But it's worth taking a short, right?'_ he asked himself nervously. At the coffee table he had placed a few new DVD's and an old one, Frank Capra's "It's a wonderful Life". In the kitchen everything was ready for special home made caramel popcorn. In the refrigerator he had placed the Malt Cider which could be heated later that evening. He had seen the movie so many times, but it was still one of his favorites.

He walked over to the coffee table and studied the other movies he had placed there. There was "Annie", now that was another Christmas original. Though this was a not a movie that fit in the DiNozzo tradition, he knew it was a wonderful movie. He knew McGee would have never expected him to have this particular movie as one of his favorites, but he didn't care. And there were of course the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and the "Lord of the Rings" movies. He had no idea if Ziva had seen any of these and he thought she just had to see them. So... she could choose. And if she wasn't in the mood for a movie night, he could always watch them by himself. _'It will be a lot more fun if she's here, though.'_

He walked over to the dinner table. There were only a few envelopes on the table. Nothing weird. He looked around in his apartment. Everything was clean. It was a change. Several months before his apartment might have looked as if a storm had went through it, but things had changed. HE had changed. The summer had changed him. First loosing her and then finding her back. He had gotten a reason to live again. His life had gotten reason again. And that had changed him more then anything else. He was longing for things he hadn't expected. _'But it's good thing, right? It's different, but good.'_ he thought.

As he took his jacket of the back of the chair and put it on he heard the doorbell ring.

* * *

He opened the door and there she was. She had opened her coat as it was rather warm in the hallway. The white coat was precisely as long as her dress. Underneath her coat he saw her emerald dress and the wrapping shawl and he could only look at her. Her breathtaking beauty had rendered him speechless. He stared at her until he heard her voice.

"Tony?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Yes, yes. Come in." he said, opening the door wide. He let her pass him and turned to shut the door. _'Oh, God. How am I gonna do this?'_ he thought. He felt like he was struck by lightning. _'How am I going to get through this without breaking.. well, any rules?'_ he thought, a bit desperate. He had no idea. And this was a first. He had had dates who had looked stunningly beautiful, but this was different. This was Ziva. _'And it's not like it's a date, isn't? She just took the challenge. It's not.... a date.'_ he thought. _'I can do this. It's just a challenge. Nothing more, nothing less.'_ He told himself._ 'Yeah, right. Who am I kidding here?'_ he asked himself. He turned back to her again and couldn't utter a word. Not a single coherent thought would form in his head.

She started to take her coat of. That seemed to wake him out of his reverie. He put his hands on her shoulders and gently took of her coat. He hung it on a hook while she looked at him.

_'God, he has never looked this good, has he?'_ she thought. She was stunned by his looks. Of course, she knew he was handsome, he had good looks for which almost every woman seem to fall, even the married and old ones. And if he wanted, he could be very charming. He could make a woman feel very special. She was sure of that. And right now she felt.... special. _'Is that how I feel? Is that how he thinks of me? He seemed impressed.' _she thought. "Tony, this is.... Classy enough for what you have in mind, yes?" she asked him, suddenly nervous again.

"Classy." he managed to say. "Yeah, classy is good." he said in a choked voice. "You are looking great." he said, mesmerized by her looks.

"Thanks. You are looking quite handsome yourself." she complimented him. _'Wow, did I say that?'_ she thought.

"Thanks." he said. For one moment he had no idea what to say. Or do for that matter. He watched her walking into his living room. She slowly took off her wrapping shawl and that's when he noticed her bare back. _'Uh-oh... this means trouble. With a big T.'_ he thought. _'A bare back. I wonder what else- No, wait. Don't go there!'_ he told himself. He hurried after her.

She looked around and was surprised by the way his apartment looked. _'It's..... different.'_ she thought. _'No more clutters, no more mess. It looks.... clean. He's changed.'_ That thought surprised her. She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but he had changed. With one last look around she walked over to the couch to sit down.

"So." she said.

"Yes." he answered, sitting down in one of his favorite chairs.

Her mind wondered back to earlier that evening, when he had proposed this challenge and she wondered how he was going to do it. "Tony, do you have... any plans for tonight?" she asked.

"Oh yes," he said, slowly regaining his normal teasing composure, "I have made plans. I thought we could go out for dinner first and then see from there. How about that?" he asked.

"I think that's a good idea." she said, a little smile around her lips. _'Dinner and see from there. I can do that.'_ She thought.

"Oh, and since this is a challenge..... There has to be a price for the one who wins the challenge." he stated.

"Oh, really?" she asked.

"That's a part of every good challenge. You still feeling up to it?" he asked.

"Sure. So... what is your price if you succeed in convincing me?" she asked.

"Let's see...... probie" he teased, a smirk playing around his lips. "How about..... You will do anything I want for the coming three days."

"So..... I will be at your mercy for the coming three days if you win?" she asked to be sure.

"Yes." he smirked.

"Hmpf." she huffed. "Okay, I'll do anything you want for the coming three days." she reluctantly agreed. "BUT.... If I win....." she said threateningly.

"Yes?" he asked innocently.

"Then YOU will be at MY mercy for the coming three days." she said.

"I can live with that." he grinned. "Shall we go?" he asked, with a look at the clock.

"Okay." she said as she raised.

He got up out of his chair and walked with her to the hallway. "Oh, wait here one minute. I have to get something." he said.

She nodded as she put on her coat.

He hurried to his study and took a gift bag from his desk. He walked back to the hallway and put on his overcoat. Ziva shot a curious glance at the gift bag, but said nothing. He opened the door and they went out.

"Do you want me to drive?" Ziva asked.

"No, I'll drive." he said. _'That way she will HAVE to get back here after dinner.'_ he thought.

"Okay, whatever you want." she said. "It's your challenge, yes?"

"It's my **party**, Ziva." he corrected her. "But yes, it's also my challenge." he grinned as he opened the door for the passengers seat. She took a seat and he closed the door. He walked around to the drivers side and took a deep breath before he entered the car. _'You can do this, DiNozzo. Just treat it like any other date.'_ He told himself. _'But it's not like any other date. It's Ziva.'_ A voice in his head teased.

"It was pleasant that we could leave rather early tonight, yes?" Ziva asked as Tony drove to the restaurant.

"Yeah, it was." he said.

"Let's just hope that no case will spoil the Christmas fun. We deserve a quiet Christmas after last year, yes?" she asked.

"You're right. Let's keep our fingers crossed that no dead marine or anything else turns up." he said.

"Keep our fingers crossed?" she asked confused. "How is that going to help us? How can we eat if we have to keep our fingers crossed?"

"It's a saying." he explained. "It means that you hope that nothing happens. Keeping your fingers crossed is the superstition to let anything not happen."

"Ah, right." she said.

The rest of the ride they talked about things that happened at work, keeping the conversation light.

* * *

Tony parked his car in the parking garage next to the restaurant. He got out and before he could turn to help Ziva, she got out quickly. He locked the car and walked with her to the exit of the parking garage. Once outside she looked up and down the street. It was a nice street with different restaurants, bars and cafe's. She wondered where Tony would take her. _'Knowing him, it might as well be a take out with tables.'_ she thought. He surprised her by taking her to an Italian looking pub.

"This place is owned by friends of mine from Baltimore." he said. "They've got a great diner!" he stated enthusiastic.

"Friends from Baltimore, huh?" she asked.

"Yep." For a moment he seemed lost in thoughts, but then he looked at her again. "They moved here a couple of years ago. I'll tell you all about it later!" he said, as he opened the door to the pub.

She saw a nice Italian looking interior, cozy but with enough room for guests to walk around without bumping into one another. She saw a few tables which were all taken and she noticed the dance floor. Tony guided her to the bar. There were two stools left. At that moment a beautiful brunette noticed Tony and came to great him.

"Tony, how wonderful you could make it!" she said, as she kissed him on his cheek. "Your table isn't free yet, but I've kept these two stools free for you." she said, gesturing to the two free stools.

"That's great, Donna. Thanks!" Tony said, kissing her on her cheek. He turned to Ziva, who had felt a pang of jealousy. "Donna, this is my friend and colleague, Ziva. Ziva, meet Donna." he introduced the two women.

"It's nice to meet you, Ziva." Donna greeted her warmly. _'Not a blonde bimbo.'_ She thought. _'That's a good sign. I'll have to think of an excuse to let Mamma Lucia greet them.'_ she thought.

"It is nice to meet you too. I understand that you are old friends from Baltimore?" Ziva asked.

"Yes, that's true. Mamma Lucia and Luigi decided to come here a couple of years ago." Donna answered. "Oh, you'll have to meet them!" she said. "Mamma Lucia and Luigi are always happy to meet friends of Tony!" she beamed at Ziva, ignoring Tony's confused look. After all, he had never taken any friend to Luigi's Place here in Washington. 'This is an excellent excuse to let Mamma Lucia meet Tony's girlfriend.' Donna thought.

"Maybe Mamma Lucia and Luigi can meet Ziva someday." Tony said, a warning look in his eyes for Donna, who chose to completely ignore that look.

"Can I take your coat, Ziva?" she asked.

"Oh, yes please." she said, taking off her coat.

"Tony, you want me to hang up your coat too?" Donna asked.

"Oh, I will hang it up myself." he said, wanting a word with Donna. He wanted to find out what she was up to. Cause she was up to something. That was clear to him.

"Don't be silly." Donna said. "There's no need for you to hang it up yourself. Here, give me your coat and tell Carlo what you want for drinks." she need, taking his coat too and gesturing to Carlo to take their orders. She walked to the cloakroom and was already thinking up a plan to get Mamma Lucia to meet Ziva. _'Maybe she can bring the dishes for her favorite guest?' _she thought. 'I'll have to ask her.'

Ziva was unaware of Donna's thoughts and ordered a glass of white wine as she took place at one stool. Tony, on the other side, wondered what Donna was up to. He had this tinkling feeling, but he knew he couldn't just ask her, so he'd have to wait and see. He ordered a beer and took place at the other stool

Carlo served them their drinks and they chatted with him.

* * *

"I have to go to the men's room for a moment." Tony said, just as there was a pause in their conversation. Ziva nodded and he walked away. He hoped he'd get a chance to catch Donna, but he saw her nowhere. He shrugged and walked towards the men's room. He didn't see the surprised look on Ziva's face when he walked toward what had appeared to be a private door.

"Err," she said hesitantly to Carlo, "Is Tony going the right way?" she asked.

Carlo looked confused for a moment and then noticed where she looked.

"Oh, yes." He said.

"That is the door to the restaurant." Said a voice behind Ziva as Carlo walked tot he other end of the bar to help a customer. She turned around and saw a young, handsome Italian man.

"The restaurant?" she asked.

"Ah, you don't know yet?" the man said. "Are you here with a friend?" He asked.

"Yes." She said. "Yes, I am here with a friend. And you? Are you meeting someone here?" she asked.

"That's a way to put it." he grinned, taking a seat at the stool Tony had left. "I hope this wasn't taken?" he asked.

"Well, actually..." Ziva started.

"Oh, that's okay. I'll be gone soon." the man chuckled.

"Ah. Well, we are waiting for our table. I don't know how long it will take." Ziva said.

"So, you have a table, right? And is this friend of yours a male friend or a female friend?" the man asked teasingly.

"He is a male friend." Ziva stated. "Why do you ask?" she asked bluntly. She was starting to dislike the line of questioning.

"Oh, nothing special. Just wondering. I couldn't imagine a beautiful woman like yourself being here alone or with a lady friend to spend Christmas Eve. After all, Christmas Eve is a special night, isn't it?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know really. I'm Jewish." she said. "So I don't celebrate Christmas. But I'm here with a friend who does."

"Oh, your Jewish. Friends of mine are Jewish too! How was your Hanukah?" the man asked.

"It was.... okay, I guess." Ziva said, thinking about the last few weeks.

"Ah, you have better memories, I hope." the man said. "Oh, I only now realized I haven't introduced myself yet." He held out his hand. "My name is Luigi." He said, a small smile playing around his lips.

"Luigi. Well, it is nice to meet you, Luigi." Ziva said, shaking his hand.

"Carlo," Luigi called, "give this beautiful woman another drink, will ya?" he asked.

"Do you want me to.... put it on your bill...... sir?" Carlo asked, a smirk playing around his lips.

"You can put it on my bill." Ziva heard Tony's voice saying. She looked over her shoulder and saw him coming up behind her. "Luigi, it's good to see you again. How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm doing good. And you?" Luigi asked.

"Good. Oh, you might wanna be careful." Tony warned.

Luigi raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?" he asked, twinkles in his eyes, while he extended his hand to Tony.

"Lucia heard you're here." Tony said, while he stood beside Ziva. "And she didn't look too happy." He shook Luigi's hand, a teasing look in his eyes.

"Oh, she'll be alright. The kids went into the kitchen for a minute before they're going to church and I'll join her in the kitchen." Luigi stated.

"Are you children going to Church by themselves" Ziva asked.

"Their oldest brother is looking out for them. And afterward they'll be back here. The church is close by, so they'll be alright." He said.

"Wait, you will join her in the kitchen?" Ziva asked. "You are Luigi?" she asked confused.

"Yes." Luigi said with gleaming eyes.

"Ah. So... you are the owner of this restaurant, yes?" she asked.

"Yes, together with my wonderful Lucia." he said.

"Ah. That explains it." she said.

Luigi nodded. "Let me see if your table is ready. I think you're both ready to have a nice dinner, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I think we are." Tony said.

Luigi raised and went into the restaurant. Only a few minutes later he returned. "Your table is ready. If you'll follow me." he said.

Ziva raised from her stool and faced Tony. "Shall we go?" she asked. He nodded. She turned and he placed one hand in the small of her back, gently pushing her through the now crowded place. His hand on her bare skin felt warm and sent tingling feelings to her spine. She looked around and noticed the interior of the restaurant looked like the pub, but here it was clear that it was a restaurant.

Although the restaurant was far less crowded, Tony kept his hand on her back, just because it felt good. Ziva didn't seem to mind so he decided to just enjoy the moment. He was surprised when Luigi didn't take him to his usual table and instead brought them to an intimate table for two. It was placed near the window, on one side hidden by a big plant and on a second side by a big aquarium. They were seated close enough to the kitchen to be able to enjoy the delicious smells, but not close enough to have a view into the kitchen or to be overwhelmed by the kitchen scents. In short, it was an ideal, intimate table. As Ziva was seated, Tony looked at Luigi, raising his eyebrows. Luigi merely shrugged, but said nothing. It seemed he knew as little as Tony did.

At that moment Donna walked to them and handed them the menu. Tony noticed Ziva had gotten a different menu then he and looked questioningly at Donna.

"Kosher." she mouthed over Ziva's head, while she placed her glass on the table. Tony nodded and took a seat.

"Let's see what they've got this year." Tony said, opening his menu.

Ziva followed his lead. While she looked at the menu she noticed the entire menu was made up of only kosher meals. "Tony?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Do they always serve only kosher dishes here?"

"Nope. But they have a special kosher menu." he stated. "Luigi and Lucia have several friends who are kosher, so they made a special menu for them. And now you can enjoy it too." he said smiling.

A smile lit her face as she looked at him. "Thank you, Tony. They have an extensive kosher menu" she said appreciative.

"De nada" He said.

* * *

Author's closing note: "De nada" means: It's nothing or You're welcome. Thanks again for reviewing!


	3. Chapter 3 An unknown side

**Chapter 3 an unknown side**

Thank you to everyone for the lovely reviews and for all the story/author alerts! It was wonderful to get all those messages :)

A great thanks to my wonderful beta-readers ErikaaDiLante, geekischic and cmaddict. You keep me in check :) And a great thanks to M E Wofford too for her lovely ideas and willing to read it all :)

Summary: Tony and Ziva have just ordered dinner. But what are those kids doing here?

**

* * *

Previously on Christmas Love is in the Air**

"Let's see what they've got this year." Tony said, opening his menu.

Ziva followed his lead. While she looked at the menu she noticed the entire menu was made up of only kosher meals. "Tony?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Do they always serve only kosher dishes here?"

"Nope. But they have a special kosher menu." he stated. "Luigi and Lucia have several friends who are kosher, so they made a special menu for them. And now you can enjoy it too." he said smiling.

A smile lit her face as she looked at him. "Thank you, Tony. They have an extensive kosher menu" she said appreciative.

"De nada" He said.

**

* * *

Chapter 3 an unknown side**

"Have you made your decision yet?" Donna asked.

Tony looked questioningly at Ziva. "You know what you want?"

"Yes, I'd like to have the Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella for starters, please."

"That's not all you're gonna eat today, is it? No main course, dessert?" Tony teased her.

"Who said I don't want more? And what do you want, before we go on about what I want?" Ziva asked.

"Nope, ladies first. So go ahead and order." Tony said, playing the gentleman.

She looked at him curiously. "Okay then. As for the main course I'd like to have...." she paused a moment and looked at the menu again. "Ah, yes, I'd like to have the Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad and for dessert.... You know what, I'll see about that later." she said with a smile to Donna.

"That is an excellent choice." Donna said. "And Tony, what would you like?"

"I'd like to start with the Cold Seafood Cocktail followed by a Lobster Stuffed with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat. I'm not sure about dessert just yet, so, like Ziva, I'll pick it later." he said as he handed her back the menu.

"No pizza today, Tony?" Ziva teased.

"Nope, no pizza on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve isn't meant for pizzas." he stated.

She looked at him curiously. "And why is that?"

"Ah... Donna, will you do the honors of answering that question?" Tony asked.

"Sure. Christmas Eve is traditionally known as the Seven Fish evening in Italy. We don't eat meat on Christmas Eve, as to be prepared for the feast on Christmas itself." she explained. "Usually Christmas is spent with the whole family and there are so many dishes that day that a light meal the day before is better." She smiled at them as she received the menu from Ziva.

"Ah, I understand." Ziva said.

"Would you like another drink?" Donna asked them.

Tony gestured to Ziva to answer first.

"I'd like to have a tea for now, thank you."

"And I would like to have a soda." Tony stated. Ziva merely raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. She was surprised he didn't order another beer or a glass of wine. '_Another change perhaps?'_ she wondered.

"Was the menu good?" Tony whispered as Donna walked away.

"Yes, Tony, it was excellent!" she answered smiling.

"Good, I know Lucia will love to hear that." he stated. "Was there a lot of fish on the menu?"

"There was indeed, but now I see why. And what have you planned for tomorrow, Tony? For dinner I mean." she teased.

"Maybe if you're a good girl, you'll find that out tomorrow." he smirked.

"Uh-uh," she said, "I'm not supposed to be the good girl. You will have to convince me, remember? So that means that you have to be good boy." she said as she wiggled her index finger at him.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently before he let go again. "Hmmm... That does ring a bell. I vaguely remember something about that." he said with sparkling eyes.

"Hmph." she huffed, before looking at the aquarium behind her. It was a huge aquarium. She was surprised to see a large assortment of tropical fish and other marine life in it that seemed to belong to a reef environment. She wondered who had had the inspiration for this aquarium. "Tony?" she started.

"Yes?" he answered, casually looking around.

"This aquarium is quite bigger than in any other restaurant I've seen."

He turned to look at her. "I guess so."

"It is wonderful." she said smiling.

"You're right. Oh, Angélina picked that one out." he said, pointing at a little diver near a treasure chest. "The smile on her face when Luigi put it in there was priceless." he said absently, smiling at the memory. He didn't notice Ziva's faltering smile.

_'Here I am and he's talking about something his other date did.'_ she thought sadly. _'This isn't a date, remember?'_ a little voice inside her head said. _'Still, it is.....'_ She didn't finish that thought, but instead she stood up. "I have to go to the ladies room before we get our dinner. Where can I find it?"

"Just go back to the café. You'll find the ladies room on your right hand side. It's the last door before the door to the café." Tony said as he rose from his chair.

"Thank you." she said, gesturing for him to remain seated.

He watcher her as she walked away. He noticed her little shiver and the goosebumps on her arm. _'She's cold there.'_ he thought. He laid a hand on the heater behind him. _'Good, that's warm.'_ he thought. He switched seats and their glasses. _'That's better. Hopefully she'll warm up again near the heater.'_ he thought. He looked around again and noticed a familiar couple sitting at the table he'd normally have. As usual they were bickering.

"Why did they give us this table? This is ridiculous!" the man said irritated.

"I don't know, honey. But this is good too, isn't it? We're comfortable here." the woman said soothingly.

"No, it's not." he snapped. "This table is smaller and we're in the draft. Everyone walks by here. We don't have a moment's rest here." he growled. The man continued to complain while the woman tried to calm him down.

When he saw Donna over by the little bar with a tray of drinks in her hands, Tony walked over to her. "Hey Donna."

"Hey Tony. How's everything? Is Ziva enjoying the evening?"

"I hope so. She went to the ladies room, but everything seemed fine. I wanted to ask you something, though." he said gently.

"And what do you wanna ask, Tony?" she asked with a flirtatious smile.

"Well, it's not that I don't mind, but err....." he said hesitantly.

"Oh, Tony at a loss for words. I never thought I'd see the day." she said teasingly. "Just say it, Tony." she said encouragingly. _'Unbelievable... Mr. Italian hotshot, Mr. Playboy, ever teasing, always ready with a quick remark, is now lost for words.'_ she thought. _'There's another first... I wonder...'_ for a moment she looked like she was miles away, but Tony didn't seem to notice.

"Well, I know it's totally your business, but why did you give me a different table than usual?" he asked her nervously. "I would have been perfectly happy with my usual table."

"Ah, but Mamma Lucia would never have forgiven me if I had done that. On that rare occasion that you bring a friend over, you deserve a special table." she said matter-of-factly. "After all, it's a rare treat to meet one of your friends."

"Okay. Thanks, I guess." he said with a lopsided grin. "But isn't he bugging you?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the arguing couple.

"Nah, he'll learn and if he doesn't...." she didn't finish her sentence but merely shrugged.

"Well, if you're sure about it, thanks. Ziva likes the aquarium." he grinned. "She says it's bigger then in any restaurant she's ever been."

"It is indeed. And I think that was exactly what Mamma Lucia and Luigi had in mind." she said smirking.

* * *

In the ladies room Ziva was washing her hands. A woman she recognized as one half of the arguing couple she too had seen in the restaurant, walked in. She looked irritated. "Are you okay?" Ziva asked.

"Men. You can't live with them, but you can't live without them." the woman stated, walking towards one of the stalls.

"Ah, I recognize that feeling. What did he do?".

"It's Christmas Eve, for crying out loud and all he can do is complain about the table we've gotten. Instead of being happy to have dinner here, just the two of us, he complains. We've got three kids, you know. So we rarely get the chance to go out on holiday evenings. And now we've gotten the chance to have a nice dinner with just the two of us and he can only complain." she said irritated.

"Hmmmm. Maybe it's because he's simply not used to it anymore?"

"He just shouldn't complain! This is an amazing opportunity. Oh, I know. We come here often, but we've never been able to come here on Christmas Eve! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a table here on Christmas Eve?"

"Er, to be honest, I have no idea." Ziva said apologetically. "I've come here with a friend who has been here before."

"Well, take it from me. It is very hard to get a table here! This is a famous place. And not only here in DC. People come from all over the place to dine here! And here he is, complaining about the size of the table." The woman threw her hands in the air. "He simply shouldn't complain!"

"Maybe you should tell him.... What is that saying?" Ziva said. "Size does not matter, it is the company that matters?"

"I see what you mean." the woman said. Then she looked intently at Ziva. "You've never been here before, have you?"

"No, this is the first time."

"Are you with that good looking Italian-American guy?"

"Yes."

"Oh, wow." the woman said amazed.

"Why?"

"He's never brought a date here. Well, at least, I've never seen him here with a date."

"Ah, but that doesn't mean he has never brought a date here. After all, he could have brought a date when you weren't here." Ziva stated.

"You've got me there. I guess you're right. Such a man is too good to be alone for such a long time."

Ziva merely smiled. _'How do I respond to that?'_ she wondered.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you. I hope you a lovely evening." the woman said.

"Thank you. And I hope you have a good evening too."

The woman disappeared in the cubicle as Ziva walked out of the door and headed to the cloak room to get her wrapping shawl. _'It's good I brought it with me.'_ she thought as she wrapped the shawl around her shoulders and walked back into the restaurant.

* * *

As she walked out of the cloak room, she noticed some commotion just outside of the kitchen right at the moment that Tony walked from the bar to the kitchen doors. A teenager walked out with a crying child in his arms. "Charlie, my man!" Tony exclaimed. "How are you?" he asked.

Charlie's face lit up when he noticed Tony.

"Uncle Tony!" he walked over to him. "Can you please help me? The boys are at it again and Angel doesn't stop crying." the teenager asked desperately.

"Sure." Tony said as he reached out his arms. "Come here, Angel. What's the matter?" he asked the crying girl as he took her in his arms.

"Luca said....." she hiccuped. "And Tomaso....." she sobbed as she continued crying.

Tony looked confused at Charlie. He merely shrugged. "I know as much as you do, Uncle Tony. She won't say anymore. The boys better start talking." he said menacingly.

_'Uncle Tony?'_ Ziva wondered. _'And who are these children?'_ she thought as she watched the scene from a little distance.

"He doesn't bite, you know. Especially now that he's holding a kid." she heard Donna softly chuckling behind her.

"I know. He knows better than to do that."

"Oh?" Donna asked as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, I know 18 different ways to kill him with a paperclip. He knows better than to bite me." she told Donna.

"Errr, right. Well, that was a figure of speech. You're not from the states, are you?" Donna asked, simply as a formality. After all, she knew perfectly well that Ziva came out of Israel. Tony had told them that several years ago.

"No, I come from Israel." Ziva said absently. "Who are they?" she asked, gesturing to Charlie and the crying girl.

"They're Luigi and Mamma Lucia's children. And apparently two of their boys have said or done something to Angélina. She's the youngest, six years old now, you know. And they like to tease her."

"Angélina?" Ziva asked. "Angélina, from the little diver in the aquarium?"

"Yes. Oh, that smile of hers when Luigi placed the diver in the aquarium. It was-" Donna said.

"Priceless." Ziva finished her sentence softly, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Yes. How do you know?" Donna asked amazed.

"Tony told me earlier." Ziva answered. _'He wasn't talking about a date.'_ she thought. _'He was talking about that little girl.'_ "Is he always like this with them?"

"With Angélina? Oh, yes. From the first time Luigi put her into his arms he couldn't resist her. And believe me, Luigi practically dumped the poor girl in his arms. You should have seen the look on Tony's face! It was hilarious. When she took hold of his finger when he touched her hand, he was sold. Ever since then, she's got him wrapped around her pinky."

"Wrapped around her pinky?" Ziva asked confused. She didn't see anything wrapped around any of his fingers.

"Have you ever seen him with children?" Donna asked, ignoring Ziva's question about the pinky.

"Not much." Ziva said softly. _'This is definitely a different side of Tony.'_ she thought.

"She's stolen his heart. She loves her Uncle Tony. Too bad she doesn't see him that often. He really has a way with her."

* * *

At that moment Tony noticed Ziva. "Ziva!" he said, beckoning her to come over. Angélina had her head buried in his neck and was still softly crying. Charlie disappeared into the kitchen.

"Have fun." Donna said, a small smile playing around her lips as she walked away to bring drinks to the guests. _'This is going to be an interesting evening.'_ she thought, when she placed the first order of drinks on the right table.

"Thanks." Ziva said softly, as she started walking towards Tony.

"Ziva, meet Angélina. Angélina is Luigi's and Lucia's youngest daughter." he said.

"It is nice to meet you, Angélina." Ziva said, but the girl kept her face hidden.

"Angel." Tony whispered softly in her ear. "Angel, I would like you to meet a friend of mine." he whispered, gently stroking her hair and back. She had her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms locked around his shoulders and she was still crying. He looked apologetically at Ziva.

Ziva gently stroked Angélina's arm. She had no idea what to say or do. "I thought you had no brothers or sisters?" she asked Tony softly.

"I don't. But for them it's easier to call me Uncle Tony."

"Ah." Ziva said. "How old is that boy?" she asked Tony curiously.

"Charlie's eighteen." When he saw the surprised look on her face he laughed. "It's a long story." he chuckled. "I'll tell you later." Then he returned his attention to Angélina. "You know what?" he said, "Let's sit down and you can tell me everything Luciano and Tomaso did." Angélina didn't look up but nodded in his neck. "Okay then." He walked to their table and took place in the chair Ziva had previously sat in, which left her standing for a moment. He nodded to the other chair. "I noticed you were a bit cold and there's a heater there. That should keep you warm." he said as he shifted Angélina on his lap.

"Thank you." she said surprised.

Tony gently took Angélina by her shoulders and pulled her a bit back from him so that he could look her in the eyes. "Will you tell me what Luciano and Tomaso did?"

She rubbed her eyes with her hands and nodded, softly sighing. "They-they said that...." as she took a deep breath, "they said Santa doesn't exist. But he does, Uncle Tony. I've seen him. He DOES exist." she pleaded with him desperately. "And, and-and, they also said I'm not getting any gifts, because I have been bad. But I haven't! I've been a good girl. Mommy said so!" she cried.

"Yes, I know, Angel. Santa does exist. Luca and Tommy were just teasing you. You know that, right?" he asked her, gently wiping away her tears.

"Well," she started, "they were …. mean. They said I shouldn't leave milk and cookies for Rudolph cause he doesn't deserve them, because he's not real. But he deserves it so much, right? He's real, right?" she asked, looking into his eyes hopefully.

"Yes, Rudolph does deserve the milk and cookies. You know what? Let them talk. You and I know better. And you have been a good girl. Your mommy told me you've done all your homework and you've cleaned your room. That's not something a bad girl does, right?" he said, smiling at her and gently touching her nose with the tip of his forefinger. He looked up at Ziva and saw her smiling. She looked surprised but happy. _'I wonder what she's thinking.'_ He thought.

_'He really has a way with her.'_ Ziva thought. _'He would be a good father.' _She was shocked at that thought. _'Now where did that come from?'_.

Angélina shook her head. "No, Uncle Tony, only good girls do that." she said as a small smile appeared on her face.

"Okay. Now, why don't you tell Ziva here everything about the little diver and his treasure here and all his friends? I will have a talk with Luca and Tommy, okay?"

Angélina looked at Ziva. "Okay." she said as she climbed off Tony's lap and reached out her hand to Ziva. Ziva took her hand and was pulled to the aquarium. "Look, here's the little diver. His name is Marcello. And he's brought a treasure." Angélina told Ziva with glistering eyes. "And here..." she continued, starting to tell Ziva the story of Marcello, his treasures and all his little friends in the aquarium.

Tony stood up. Ziva was quatted in front of the aquarium, all her attention on the little girl. He smiled and leaned over to her. "I'm gonna have a talk with the twins. I'll be right back." he whispered in her ear, one hand resting lightly on her shoulder.

She felt his warm breath tickle in her ear, sending shivers down her spine and hardly heard what he said. She turned her head and looked at him. She noticed that his face was suddenly very close by, their noses almost touching. She could see sparkles in his eyes as she looked into them. Her breath caught in that moment, she didn't know what to say.

"I'll see you in a bit." he said softly. _'I think I've got her startled.'_ he thought. _'Wow, never knew that could happen. We almost – No, let's not go there.'_

Ziva nodded and turned back to Angélina. _'That was.... close. Wow.'_ was all she could think, feeling a tingling sensation in her stomach. Angélina was clueless of what had happened between Tony and Ziva and was wrapped in the story she was telling Ziva.

Tony, meanwhile, walked to the kitchen, where he knew Luciano and Tomaso would be.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The "Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella" and the "Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad" are actual Kosher dishes according to Jewish Recipes dot org. The Seven Fishes Feast is a tradition from Southern Italy. Now it is an Italian-American feast with 7 dishes of Seafood. It's always celebrated on Christmas Eve.


	4. Chapter 4 Starters

**Chapter 4 Starters**

**Thanks:** Hey everyone. Thanks so much for all the reviews, story- and author alerts. It's really heartwarming. Especially with the winter weather here in the Netherlands. And I want to thank you all for the wonderful patients that you've shown while waiting for a new chapter! Have fun reading!

A great thanks to my wonderful beta-reader geekischic. You keep me in check :) And a great thanks to M E Wofford too for her lovely ideas and willing to read it all :)

**Summary:** Tony and Ziva have a dinner for two.

* * *

**Previously on Christmas Love is in the Air:**

She felt his warm breath tickle in her ear, sending shivers down her spine and hardly heard what he said. She turned her head and looked at him. She noticed that his face was suddenly very close by, their noses almost touching. She could see sparkles in his eyes as she looked into them. Her breath caught in that moment, she didn't know what to say.

"I'll see you in a bit." he said softly. _'I think I've got her startled.'_ he thought. _'Wow, never knew that could happen. We almost – No, let's not go there.'_

Ziva nodded and turned back to Angélina. _'That was.... close. Wow.'_ was all she could think, feeling a tingling sensation in her stomach. Angélina was clueless of what had happened between Tony and Ziva and was wrapped in the story she was telling Ziva.

Tony, meanwhile, walked to the kitchen, where he knew Luciano and Tomaso would be.

* * *

**Chapter 4 Starters**

Tony came out of the kitchen with Luciano and Tomaso, one arm wrapped around their shoulders. "Now, remember what I told you, guys?"

"Yes, uncle Tony." said Luciano, his head bowed with a guilty look on this face.

Tony looked at Tomaso and waited. After a long silence Tomaso dared a glance upwards and then nervously averted his gaze from Tony's stern look. "Yes, uncle Tony." he whispered, his ears red glowing in shame.

At that moment Ziva looked up and noticed Tony with the twins. Seeing the guilty looks on the boys' faces, she raised an eyebrow but remained silent. Tony caught her look and gave her a quick smile before the stern look on his face returned. Ziva turned her attention back to Angélina.

"Now, guys, first you're going to apologize to Angélina and then you can meet a friend of mine." Tony said, giving them a gentle push towards the table. Slowly the boys obeyed Tony and came to a halt next to Ziva and Angélina. Tony noticed Ziva had taken his seat for a moment. _'Damn, that shawl looks good on her. Maybe later – No, don't go there!'_ he thought. "What do we have here? Are these my two favorite girls?"

Ziva turned around and looked at him in surprise, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. _'His favorite girls, right. That is just a saying, right?'_

Angélina turned around with a huge smile on her face. "Uncle Tony, Ziva said I should have a ship in here so that-" At that moment she noticed her brothers and she fell silent.

"A ship, eh? That sounds good. Maybe you should ask Santa about that, right Ziva?" Tony chuckled.

"I think you are right, Tony."

Luciano took a step forward and reached out his hand to Ziva. "Miss-" he started, but he was interrupted by Tony.

"Uh-uh, what did I say?" he asked sternly.

Luciano looked him grudgingly in his eyes. "Okay, okay." He and Tomaso turned to Angélina.

"Angélina," Tomaso started

"We are sorry." Luciano continued.

"We shouldn't have said that Santa doesn't exist." Tomaso continued.

"And we'll help you with the cookies and the milk for Rudolph." Luciano chimed in before they both fell silent.

"And?" Tony asked while Ziva got up from the chair.

"And..... we shouldn't have said that you're a bad girl." Luciano hastily added.

Tony looked expectantly at Tomaso, who frowned and looked questioningly at Tony. Tony raised an eyebrow. "Go on." he whispered.

"Oh, yeah. And we love you." Tomaso said as an afterthought.

A smile appeared on Angélina's face. "I love you too!" she said and hugged her brothers.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Tony said, looking at the siblings. At his side Ziva chuckled. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Boys, now that you've done this, I think it's time you meet a friend of mine." Tony said, drawing the attention of the twins.

Luciano and Tomaso turned their attention to Ziva and they both had a huge smile on their faces.

"Luciano and Tomaso, meet Miss David. She's a friend of mine." He said, as a he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her a bit closer. "Ziva, meet Luciano and Tomaso, or Luca and Tommy as we cal them." He gestured to the boys.

Ziva shook their hands and then the boys surprised her by giving her a hand kiss. She looked up at Tony who merely raised his eyebrows. "Italian charm, Sweet Cheeks."

"It is nice to meet you, Luciano and Tomaso."

"We are honored to meet you, Miss David." Luciano said.

"Yes." Tomaso added.

Charlie chose that moment to appear again. "Come on, guys, grab your coats. It's time to go. Marco is already waiting by the door."

The three children practically ran to the cloakroom while Charlie walked up to Ziva. "Hi," he said, extending his hand to Ziva, "sorry for all the commotion earlier."

"I've seen worse things. But this was …...... interesting, yes?" She looked at Tony.

"Yes, a little lesson in American traditions." he said. "Ziva, may I introduce you to Charlie, the oldest of Luigi's and Lucia's kids. Charlie, meet Miss David, a friend of mine."

"It's nice to meet you, Charlie."

"Likewise." Charlie looked briefly at Tony, raising an eyebrow, before looking back at Ziva. "Welcome here at Luigi's Place. A friend of uncle Tony is a friend of ours." _'A friend, right, who's he trying to kid around here? She's not a friend, she's way more than that! At least to him she is. Why else would he bring her here?'_

"Thank you. That is nice of you to say."

The children reappeared at the table with their coats on. "Good, let's go." Charlie said. The twins said goodbye and walked away. Charlie started to walk away when he noticed that Angélina was lingering behind. "What is it, Angel? We're gonna be late for church."

"I.... I wanted to ask Ziva something." she whispered as she glanced shyly at Ziva.

Ziva leaned over. "What do you want to ask?"

Angélina beckoned her to come closer and so she did. Angélina wrapped her arms around Ziva's neck and whispered, "If you see Santa tonight, will you ask him for a ship for the aquarium for me?"

Ziva pulled back a bit and looked into Angélina's eyes. "I promise I'll ask him."

"Thank you." Angélina started to walk away, but then she turned around again and ran back to Tony and Ziva.

Tony knelt down in front of her. "Angel, you're gonna be late." he said softly.

Angélina looked at him. "Will you be here?" she asked hesitantly.

"When you get back from church?"

She nodded.

Tony looked briefly at Ziva who shrugged and smiled. "Yes, we will be here. Now go on or you'll really be late." he grinned. He hugged the little girl and gently pushed her to Charlie, who lifted his sister in his arms and strode away after the twins.

* * *

Tony stood and looked at Ziva. He noticed that she looked at Charlie and Angélina and waved goodbye to the little girl. "She likes you." he stated.

Ziva turned to meet his eyes. "I guess she does."

"Normally she's quite shy with strangers. It usually takes her some time to open up to someone. So she really likes you."

"Well, I'm with you. I guess that is safe for her." She sat down.

"No, when Charlie got home with Francesca she didn't to her for weeks. And you couldn't blame Francesca. She tried to involve Angélina in many things she and Charlie did. You're different. She felt right at ease with you." He said as he sat down too.

Ziva couldn't explain it. _'Well, I can only hope it's a good thing.'_

"Tony's right, you know." she heard Donna say as she put their drinks on the table and removed the empty glasses.

"Were you eavesdropping, Donna?" Tony asked amused.

"I couldn't help but overhear. It took Angélina a couple of months to open up to me, while usually all the children like me straight away. It's good that she likes you, though. After all, you're a friend of her favorite uncle!" she said, while putting a basket with garlic bread, butter and Olive oil on the table.

"Thank you, Donna." Tony said pointedly.

Donna chuckled and walked away.

"She's exaggerating. I'm not her favorite uncle." Tony muttered while looking at the table.

"Well, I like Angélina anyway. She's a sweet girl and I think she's gifted with such wonderful brothers. By the way, what did you say to them?"

"I just reminded them of how happy they were when they still believed in Santa." Tony said solemnly.

Ziva tilted her head and looked at him. "Did you have fun?"

Tony looked up. "In the kitchen? No way, I couldn't give them that talk and have fun with it!"

"No, when you believed in Santa?"

"I guess so, at some point. I don't really remember." he said, avoiding the subject of his childhood years. "Did you? Oh, wait, you don't have Santa. But did you have fun with Hanukah?"

_'Hmmm... still a sensitive – no wait... touchy – subject.'_ she thought. "Yes, we had fun when we were still children. We quickly grew up though."

"Ah, yes. I can imagine that."

Simultaneously they reached out for the garlic bread. Their fingers brushed for a moment before they each took a slice of bread, and Tony heard her soft intake of breath. _'Interesting.'_ he thought with an inward smile.

"Tony, what's Charlie's story?"

"Ah, it's a rather long one. Are you up to that?"

"Certainly!"

"Well, we met back in Baltimore. I was on my way to Luigi and Lucia when I found him going through a dumpster behind their restaurant. It took some persuasion, but in the end he joined me in the restaurant for a decent meal. It turned out he had been living on the edge for a couple of years already. When I found him he'd just turned 10."

"And he was already living on the streets? What had happened?"

"His mother was.... abusive. At one point the neighbors called the cops, but he was gone by the time they'd come to his house. They'd taken statements and everything, but since Charlie wasn't there, they couldn't do a thing. If I'm correct he was about 8 when he hit the streets. He managed to stay away from child abusers. Luckily he'd found a place to sleep, but he had to take care of his own food, so he went through every dumpster he could find. And of course the dumpster of a restaurant is a great food source."

"Yes, I can see that."

"So, we had dinner and he'd hardly given me any info. I guess he'd sensed I was a cop. He's always been very good at sensing cops and abusers, our Charlie. Anyway, I brought him to a shelter our precinct was familiar with and told one of my colleagues about him. He told me Social services was already looking for him."

* * *

As Tony told Ziva more about Charlie, Donna walked into the kitchen.

"It seems the crisis is over. The kids are on their way to church." Lucia said.

"Yeah, I saw that. What did Tony say? The twins looked so guilty!" Donna asked.

Lucia chuckled. "He was angry with them alright. Let no one touch his Angel. Although I'd swear Luigi and I are her parents, he's doing a good job whenever it needs to be done! Anyway, he explained what they did was wrong and told them they wouldn't get any presents if they didn't head back in there and apologize."

"Someday he'll be a wonderful father, I think."

"Hmph, we talked about that." Luigi chimed in. "I don't think he's into all the parenting."

"You could have fooled me, but hey, what did you expect with a father like his?" Lucia said. "But I think Donna is right. With the right woman he can be a great father."

"Ah yeah, there's the keyword. The right woman. He'll have to find her first. I thought Jeanne perhaps could be, but I never saw her here."

"Ha, Jeanne? No way. No, he'll just have to wake up and notice the right woman sitting right next to him." Donna said.

"You think she's the one?" Lucia asked.

"Yeah, but they don't know it yet. Oh, to some point they might know, but not where it really matters. But they will figure it out, soon."

"Your gut feeling again?"

"Yep."

"We can usually trust that. I guess I'll have to have a look for myself."

"Well, my love, their starters are ready, so I'd say bring our friend and his guest their first course." Luigi stated with two plates in his hands.

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea!" Donna exclaimed. "You'll see, Mamma Lucia, she's perfect for him." _'I knew there was a way she could have a look for herself!'_

Luigi chuckled. "I'll have to admit, with what Tony told me about her in the past and seeing her now, I think they can work together."

Lucia rolled her eyes and took the two plates out of his hands. "I'm going to see it for myself, thank you very much." And with that she walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

"Luigi and Lucia were lucky. Social Services knew them already. They had taken care of a few kids before, so Social Services was okay with them adopting Charlie." Tony told Ziva. He looked into her smiling eyes. _'I can never get enough of that smile.'_ Then he noticed she had a bit of butter on the corner of her mouth and he chuckled.

"What? I didn't say anything!"

"No, it's just... You've got a bit of butter left."

"Huh, where?"

"Here, let me." Tony leaned over and reached out his hand. He cupped her jaw and wiped away the butter with his thumb. _'So beautiful! So...... attractive.'_ he thought. _'No, it's Ziva, your partner, remember!'_ a warning voice in his head said. _'Yes, she is, but she's also so hot!'_ another teasing voice said. He couldn't resist the temptation and softly brushed her bottom lip with his thumb.

The tip of her tongue darted out and without thinking she licked the butter from his thumb. At the moment she saw his eyes darken, she realized what she had done and her eyes widened in shock. _'Oh, God, what did I do? I should NOT have done that.'_ she thought. _'But it's Tony! And his eyes.... they tell a different story. He does not mind.'_ a teasing voice in her head said.

Instead of moving away he leaned over more as she leaned into his touch, their eyes locked. She saw him closing in and subconsciously licked her lips. "Tony." she sighed softly.

"Ziva." he whispered huskily as he saw her eyes darken. _'She doesn't seem to mind.'_ was his last coherent thought.

Just as he was about to touch her lips with his, he heard a familiar voice.

"One time baked tomatoes with Mozzarella and one time Cold Seafood Cocktail."

Their eyes still locked, Tony reluctantly pulled back. His hand slid down in his lap where he curled it up into a fist. He looked at Lucia. "Thank you, gorgeous." _'Couldn't she have waited just a few more minutes?!'_

"It looks delicious." Ziva said, regaining her composure.

"It certainly does. Ziva, may I introduce you to Lucia, an old friend of mine from Baltimore. Lucia, meet Ziva, a friend of mine."

"Ziva, it is so nice to finally meet you! Are you enjoying your evening?"

"Thank you, it is nice to meet you too. And I'm very much enjoying the evening. You have a wonderful restaurant." Ziva managed to say. "Angélina told me about your aquarium. I like it a lot. You have quite the collection of fish in here."

"Angélina told you all about the aquarium? That's great! I love it myself so much that we've got one at home too. Angel is crazy with the fish. Although she's a bit too young for it, she's determined to help take care of them in every way she can."

"Ah, yes, speaking of that," Tony started, "Angel might have gotten the idea that the aquariums need a ship in it."

"A ship?" Lucia asked surprised.

"Er, that might have been my fault. I asked her why the little diver has a treasure but no ship. And so she got the idea for the ship." Ziva explained.

"Ah, right. Well, that's no problem. I had been thinking about the same thing." Lucia chuckled.

"Good!" Tony said relieved. "Cause one of those gifts under the tree has..... er, a ship."

Lucia laughed out loud. "You've been talking to Luigi, haven't you?"

Tony looked down at the table and mumbled something.

"Oh, come on, Tony. Just admit it! Angel's got you into it as much as she's got us into it."

"Yeah, she might." Tony admitted barely audible with a light blush on his cheeks.

"Well, if Luigi knows, it's fine with me. You know that." Lucia grinned. "You're in for something tomorrow, mister!" She looked at Tony one last time and then walked away, leaving Tony and Ziva at their dinner.

"What does she mean? Are you in trouble?" Ziva asked curiously.

"No, it just means that we'll have an overexcited Angel tomorrow. Especially since she's only just asked it and she's asked you to ask Santa for her. Are you prepared for her enthusiasm tomorrow?"

"Ah, but that remains to be seen, yes?"

Tony narrowed his eyes and then laughed. "You're absolutely right, Sweet Cheeks."

They enjoyed their starters and spent the time with chatting about work, Gibbs, McGee and the rest of the gang.

* * *

Donna looked at the couple from the bar and saw they were enjoying themselves. _'Yeah, that table was a good choice.'_

Suddenly all the lights in the restaurant went out. There was an eery light coming from the aquarium, but that was all that could be seen. Lucia and Luigi stormed out of the kitchen.

"Darn, here too. Okay, people. Listen up. We're sorry for the lights going out. We will place extra candles on all the tables. For those of who are waiting for the next course, it may take a while. We don't have any lights in the kitchen either. We apologize for the delays." Lucia said.

"We're currently looking into the problem and hope to have it fixed soon. You are welcome to go to the café for the time being. When we start serving again, we will call you." Luigi said before they went back into the kitchen.

Most of the guests stay seated as they just had had their meals or were just enjoying the time. Tony looked at Ziva. "You okay?"

"Yes." She said despite the slight tension she felt.

"I'll be right back. Wait here."

She nodded and watched him walk to the kitchen.

"Lucia, is there anything I can do?" Tony asked.

"No, hun. Just enjoy your evening. It's probably one of the relays again. The electrician guy said he had fixed it, but apparently something's still wrong."

"Okay, just let me know if I can help."

"Sure!" Lucia assured him.

Tony walked back to the table and saw the little shiver that went through Ziva. "Come here," He said, reaching out to her, "we'll go to the café for now. It's warmer there. I think Carlo has already lit the fireplace."

"Okay." Ziva took her wrapping shawl and placed her hand in Tony's as she stood up.

"Are you going to the café?" Donna asked.

"Yes, it will be warmer there." Tony said.

"Of course. I'll bring your plates there. I'll see if I can get you a few seats near the fireplace."

"Thanks, Donna." Tony lead Ziva to the café with one hand in the small of her back.


End file.
